Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galway and Kildare

For one person, living is cheaper in Kildare: $2,720 a month against $3,270 in Galway, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Galway outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

160

Cost of Living Index in Galway
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Galway Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Kildare
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Kildare Living Index

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Galway

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,270

/mo nomad

Kildare

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galway and in Kildare

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Galway and in Kildare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,270 in Galway versus $2,720 in Kildare.

Galway $3,270
Kildare $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,565 in Galway versus $4,216 in Kildare.

Galway $4,565
Kildare $4,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Galway versus $5,713 in Kildare.

Galway $5,860
Kildare $5,713

Living in Galway is roughly 20% more expensive than in Kildare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 142% above, Kildare 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 €20.19

$21.00 €18.68

8.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €97.6

$62.6 €55.7

75.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.68 €14.84

$10.55 €9.38

58.10%

Cappuccino

$4.79 €4.26

$4.43 €3.94

8.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.56

$2.17 €1.93

32.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.77 €1.57

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 €7.16

$7.28 €6.47

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 €6.12

$5.43 €4.83

26.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.64 €1.46

-3.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.91 €1.70

24.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.80 €1.60

25.56%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.89

$3.80 €3.38

15.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$13.80 €12.28

20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 €9.82

$12.87 €11.45

-14.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 €11.72

$11.79 €10.49

11.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.72

$2.82 €2.51

8.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.58 €2.30

-13.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 €2.65

$3.27 €2.90

-9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$4.18 €3.72

-0.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.75 €1.56

17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.67 €1.48

-8.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.31 €1.16

-1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.09 €0.97

66.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.14 €17.91

$19.73 €17.55

2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 €12.49

$12.20 €10.85

15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.52

$2.69 €2.39

47.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.97

$2.74 €2.44

62.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €55.5

$297 €265

-79.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.51

$5.06 €4.50

0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.49 €1.33

-4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €50.6

$33.12 €29.46

71.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.04 €1.81

2.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.1K €34.8K

$31.8K €28.3K

22.70%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.4K €32.4K

$37.6K €33.5K

-3.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$246 €219

$187 €167

31.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.84 €18.54

$21.41 €19.04

-2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.71

$55.9 €49.69

-10.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 €38.78

$60.8 €54.1

-28.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.58 €20.09

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$13.28 €11.82

24.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,010 €898

$1,075 €956

-6.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,344 €4,753

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €88.5

$94.1 €83.7

5.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.19 €42.86

$42.20 €37.54

14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$110 €97.4

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$118 €105

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 €1,987

$1,388 €1,235

60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 €1,687

$1,245 €1,108

52.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 €3,251

$3,033 €2,698

20.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 €2,400

$2,546 €2,264

5.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,965 €5,306

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,623 €4,112

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,905 €2,584

$2,245 €1,997

29.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

4.14

-11.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Galway: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kildare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Galway

$1.9K 58%

Kildare

$1.2K 45.8% 34.3% $651

Groceries & Markets

Galway

$365 11.2%

Kildare

$333 12.2% 8.8% $32

Eating Out

Galway

$364 11.1%

Kildare

$316 11.6% 13.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galway

$317 9.7%

Kildare

$265 9.7% 16.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Galway

$168 5.1%

Kildare

$164 6% 2.2% $3.7

Getting Around

Galway

$83 2.5%

Kildare

$310 * 11.4% 273% $227

Sport & Entertainment

Galway

$77 2.3%

Kildare

$87 3.2% 14% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,234 in Galway and $1,388 in Kildare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $110 in Galway vs $63.0 in Kildare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $333 per month, with Kildare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Galway

🇮🇪 Kildare

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

Same time as Galway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,529

10,302

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Galway vs Kildare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kildare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Galway, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,234 in Galway versus $1,388 in Kildare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kildare – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $110 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Kildare is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kildare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Galway, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway and Kildare are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kildare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.